Fencing will be completed in one year if M’laya hands over land: Rijiju
members of the armed forces in the city on Friday. (ST)
SHILLONG: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Friday said that the Centre would complete the fencing work along the Indo-Bangla international border within a year provided the State Government acquires and hands over the land for this much- delayed project.
Talking to media persons in Shillong after inspecting the India-Bangladesh border in the Dawki sector in Meghalaya, Rijiju informed that around 80 kilometers of border fencing in Meghalaya sector remained incomplete.
“Once the State Government acquires the land, we will complete the fencing within one year,” he said.
He elaborated that land acquisition was a State subject and State Government should give due importance to the matter.
Admitting that there were protests from certain quarters over the issue of border fencing, Rijiju asserted that all issues can be sorted out if the State Government makes some extra efforts.
It is noteworthy that the Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Centre to complete fencing work along the Indo-Bangla border within three months in order to check cross-border influx of illegal Bangladeshi nationals into the North East.
Rijiju, meanwhile, informed that the Union Government would construct an international integrated check post in Dawki and added that funds would not be an issue for the same.
He exuded confidence that the proposed check post would help in transforming the economy of the State.
Rijiju reviews security along international border
Earlier in the day, Rijiju paid a visit to the BSF border outpost at Dawki in West Jaintia Hills District to inspect and review the security along the Indo-Bangladesh border.
The Union MoS also held a meeting with BSF officials and the District Administration of West Jaintia Hills to discuss issues pertaining to security measures along the international border and action plans to tackle the menace.
Without naming any country, Rijiju said that talks with any nation should not continue beyond a point. “We want results out of the talks,” he said while asserting that the situation would improve in the coming days.